Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackray on Thursday snubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Bajrangbali remarks during the Karnataka election campaign while seeking to know whether the legislation over seeking votes in name of religion has changed.
“I heard that PM Modi has appealed people of Karnataka to say ‘Bajrang Bali Ki Jai’ while voting. I remember Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray was deprived of his voting right and even prevented from contesting elections over charges of propogating Hindutva during elections. I would like to know whether the legislation has changed now,” Thackeray said while speaking to media after his meeting with Speaker of Bihar assembly Deveshchandra Thakur.
UT silent on NCP crisis
While thacekray didn’t reveal details of his discussions with Thakur, he said, “It was not about politics.”
“If PM is sppealing people of voting in the name of Bajarang Bali, I too would like to appeal Marathi voters in Belgaum to say Jai Bhavani Jai Shivaji and vote for the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti candidates,” Thackeray said adding that he wants everybody to unite against the autocratic mentality that is currently ruling the country.
Thackeray, avoided comments on the developments within the NCP and Sharad Pawar's adverse comments against him in autobiography Lok Majhe Sangati. However, he mentioned editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana which termed some NCP leaders as "fence sitters" while expressing a possibility of them joining the BJP.
“Sharad Pawar will certainly take a decision in everybody’s good interest. How can I advise him on that,” Thackeray asked while avoiding the questions.
When asked about adverse remarks in Pawar’s autobiography against him, Thackeray dodged the question by saying, “Whatever I did as Chief Minister is known to everybody. While I was Chief Minister people felt like I was one of their family members. I won’t say much on this.”
When pursuaded for a comment, he referred to party mouthpiece Saamana saying, if you have read Saamana you know the answer.
The editorial of the party mouthpiece Saamana on Thursday had termed the whole episode regarding Pawar’s resignation as ‘well planned program’ and also said, “fence sitters made more noise.”
“The announcement of resignation in a program like the release of his autobiography is a coordinated one. His autobiography is a reflection of his struggle and his political life's essence. To understand his resignation, one would have to read between the lines of the pages left unwritten in his book,” the editorial said.
“After Sharad Pawar resigned, efforts to persuade him started. However, many of Pawar’s followers in the party have one foot in the BJP and instead of seeing the party disintegrate like this, Pawar may have had such a secular idea of resignation with dignity,” it further added.
The editorial also hit out at Ajit Pawar and said his “ultimate goal in politics is to become Maharashtra's chief minister”.
